When your teeth are clean, you help protect them from the corrosive damage of dental plaque and tartar. By brushing and flossing each day, you remove deposits that produce acidic waste that can wear away at the surface of your enamel. With poor hygiene, buildups continue to feed on debris from your meals, leading to additional oral health problems, such as gum infections and dental discoloration. While consistent morning and evening cleanings at home are necessary, you must also receive regular professional care to clean and inspect your smile. When plaque hardens into tartar, you require special care to prevent decay, and our regular exams can detect problems before you become aware of symptoms yourself.
At your Prairie Village, KS dental practice, we encourage regular dental checkups to help prevent and treat tooth decay. When we discover the signs of corrosive wear, we can help prevent the need for a more conservative treatment at a later date. Early treatment can help you maintain more of your natural material with a dental filling rather than waiting for decay to further damage your tooth.
The Dangerous Effect Of Bacterial Buildup
Your teeth contain the hardest substance in the human body. When your enamel is healthy, it withstands hundreds of pounds of force from your bite. In addition to physical strength, it forms a protective seal around the sensitive dentin material and inner pulp chamber of your tooth. But when bacterial plaque forms on its surface, it can begin a decay process that wears away and removes this vital protection. You can prevent decay by practicing a healthy diet and regularly cleaning your teeth in between meals. Combining these habits with regular dental visits is key to lowering your lifetime incidence of cavities.
Restoring Your Tooth After Removing Cavities
If we discover a cavity at your general checkup, we will suggest treating it then to prevent your decay from expanding. Left alone, decay can lead to tooth infections or spread to neighboring teeth. To begin treatment, we will numb the affected area with a local anesthetic. Using special tools, we remove decaying material and smooth your tooth. To prevent reinfection we will place a restoration that fits the appropriate size. A dental filling can return the natural look of your tooth while resealing it against oral bacteria.
Speak With Your Prairie Village, KS Dentist About Removing Your Cavities And Placing A Dental Filling
When the decay process begins, failing to treat it can lead to serious complications with your oral health. By removing a cavity and restoring your tooth, you can enjoy a healthy smile once again! To learn more about how we prevent and treat the effects of tooth decay, contact our Prairie Village, KS dentist’s office today at 913-901-8585.
